Saving the Arctic and what it’s got to do with Russia

Today marks my third visit to Russia, the last being in 2006 when I had the privilege of meeting President Putin to talk about the freedoms with which NGOs can operate in this country. In a curious turn of events, and some six years later, both Putin and freedoms are still very much in the news.

You can take your pick from any number of scandals currently making headlines in Russia: planned legislation aimed at hampering NGO activity and the right to protest, draconian laws aimed at internet censorship – even the fallout from the recent performance by punk group Pussy Riot, which has garnered international attention.

What is different, between my last visit and now, however, is the scale and unbridled nature of the public’s response. Russians have taken to the streets en masse to protest the shrinking democratic space in their country – up to 100,000 at various times in Moscow alone to speak out against Putin’s rule. It’s clear that Russians are no longer prepared to tolerate civil injustices and are increasingly prepared to speak up fearlessly in their own defense.

Amid this atmosphere, I am here to address the shrinking democratic space surrounding organisations like ours, but also to bring to people’s attention an outrage of a different sort; one that goes beyond Russian borders to a plight much more epic – that of our shared Arctic.

I’ve said elsewhere that the quest to save the Arctic is one of the defining battles of our time, neatly bringing together the tensions between economy and ecology that exist in our modern world.

Russia today is a country in the midst of much welcomed growth and expansion – yet progress is happening at such a rapid rate that it has become reckless; short term interests are being vigorously pursued, yet the more pertinent question of longer term impacts is rarely addressed.

At Greenpeace we’re campaigning for a halt to the senseless destruction of the Arctic in the quest for oil. We seek preservation of this pristine wilderness, and a focus instead on the many abundant sources of renewable energy that exist, and are viable alternatives, today.

When I confronted Arctic destruction by occupying the Leiv Eiriksson oil rig last year, I took with me 50,000 signatures in opposition. This year, we count well over 1.3 million voices from around the world (a great many of them Russian too); they are people who are prepared to be counted as they say No to the willful destruction of our planet.

I am here to say No to environmental destruction as much as I say No to limits on freedom of expression and assembly. History teaches us that in all major struggles, whether it’s women’s rights, apartheid, or the US civil rights movement, that it’s only when people rise in peaceful acts of civil disobedience that the course of history changes.

Приветствия you must make allowances for our glorious leader, with all the Judo-playing, muscle-flexing, homo-eroticism, #Georgian-genocidetasticness ...

Приветствия you must make allowances for our glorious leader, with all the Judo-playing, muscle-flexing, homo-eroticism, #Georgian-genocidetasticness how can he have time to worry about a silly little thing like the future of the Arctic. There is only one leviathan who keeps his icy depths hidden beneath the still waters of the Arctic and that is my darling Vlad. I'll speak to him when he lets me out of prison darlings mwah x

I would like to see someone else then Putin in power however I feel like he is a reasonably smart person. That's why I'm surprised he doesn...

I would like to see someone else then Putin in power however I feel like he is a reasonably smart person. That's why I'm surprised he doesn't do more to lead Russia into a sustainable future. Why do world leaders generally lack the courage to say no to short term gains?

Kumi Naidoo had the privilieg of talking to Putin in 2006 about freedom...do you really believe this? I am sure there is a picture they shook hands...Africans love to collect this type of pictures, it makes them feel important.

I kindly ask Dr. Naidoo to mention Robert Mugabe and Zanu the next time he gets the chance to talk to his brothers and sisters from religious-like ANC...

I kindly ask Dr. Naidoo to mention Robert Mugabe and Zanu the next time he gets the chance to talk to his brothers and sisters from religious-like ANC...unfortunately he missed this point when having the chance in April 2012

From the moral point of view this is almost the same scenario why the North is lacking any moral authority to ask the South for environmental changes...but forget about it, you will not understand.

Good Dr. Naidoo opened Greenpeace for the south, and good he is talking about freedom, correct? What else is he talking about? And what is he ACTUALLY changing

All this is turning into a joke..into quite a bad joke.

Krup

PS: but good Kumi has at least solved the problem in Israel, disruptiv diplomacy is needed, then we give 100 Billion from defense budgets to Africa...everything good Dr. Naidoo is saying, correct?

@Green saviour
It appears you're not the only person to have comments removed!
However I will try to remain within context.

@Green saviour
It appears you're not the only person to have comments removed!
However I will try to remain within context.

I may be wrong here, but the nature of your posts suggest that you may have had some personal involvement with Kumi Naidoo in the past. If so then it would seem that you're using the space here to engage in a political wrangle.

Although you are of course free to comment, I think it would be fair to suggest that you are abusing the space here in order to fulfil some personal agenda.

This will be my final response. I think as an overview it would be a much better policy to completely ignore your comments as they do not reflect the broad discourse that underpins the general ethos of this organisation.